Medical cutting instruments of this type are used, for example, to prepare a tendon transplant in the event of a tear.
Patent DE 84 21 587 U1 discloses a generic medical cutting instrument configured as a tenotome. This known medical cutting instrument comprises a guide ring that is equipped with an opening mechanism and can be placed around the muscle/tendon tissue of the implant that is still fastened at both ends. To actuate the opening mechanism and then to cut the muscle/tendon tissue, the cutting knife is mounted in the instrument body so that it can be slid axially, such that the sliding takes place via an actuation ring positioned on the handle of the instrument body. The known instrument further comprises a blocking mechanism in order to prevent unintentional actuation of the cutting knife.
The known tenotome makes possible a precise preparation of a muscle/tendon implant, but the structure and operation of this known medical cutting instrument with the slidable opening mechanism and the additional blocking mechanism are highly complex.